


The Epic Bromance of Finn and Artie

by Yaoiloverread



Category: Glee
Genre: Caught in a Bad Bromance, Fluff, S1 spoilers, Woah woah woah, discontinued, lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-23
Updated: 2013-11-06
Packaged: 2017-11-08 08:59:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/441477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yaoiloverread/pseuds/Yaoiloverread
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In interviews, we've heard that Chris Colfer originally tried out for the part of Artie (before he became Kurt Hummel) while Darren Criss had auditioned for the part of Finn.</p><p>This is the fic where they got those parts.</p><p> </p><p>Update: Discontinued</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. PRE-PILOT

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, or any of its characters. I also do not own either Chris Colfer or Darren Criss.
> 
>  
> 
> FYI, I'm not going to be re-hashing every episode of Season 1. Just those episodes that, I feel, will be different if either actor was playing either of these characters.

PRE-PILOT

 

Finn Hudson had heard of the wheelchair kid, of course (who hadn't?). He'd even seen the guy around, a few times (it was quite hard to miss something that took up that much space in the corridors), although he'd never spoken to him before. Not surprising, considering that they moved around in different cliques entirely, him being the leader of the jocks, and Abrams hanging out with the... other geeks or something. Were there even any other geeks in the school? Apart from Jacob Ben Israel of course, that weird kid that kept trying to shove his camera into everyone's faces.

No, what was more surprising was the high-pitched voice (he'd thought it was a girl at first), when he accidentally rescued Artie Abrams from a fallen Port-A-Potty (Abrams had been locked inside by some of the hockey jocks).

"Thank you, thank you very much," Abrams gasped out for air, hands clinging to the opened doorway (The Port-A-Potty wasn't a very nice one). He didn't seem to be letting go of the edge anytime soon, even though Finn tried to pull him out. He wasn't having much luck though (look, it wasn't his fault he was short, OK? He was just... a late bloomer. He'd catch up to the other guys his age soon enough. Plus, none of the other footballers ever saw him coming, that's for sure). Abrams heaved a bit, then paused, staring at Finn.

"Aren't you-" he coughed, voice squeaking a bit at the end. Cleared his throat.

"Hudson." He made it sound like a death toll. "What are you doing here?"

Finn froze at the frosty stare (and that pun was totally unintentional, but was kinda funny... focus, Finn!). He stepped back a bit, and spread his hands before him in a conciliatory gesture (jeez that guy could glare). "Woah, slow down, dude. I just came to help. No need for the death glare."

"How did you know where to find me? Wait, no, some of your jock friends bragged about it to you, right? Poor little wheelchair kid, stuck with no where to go. I suppose they thought it would be a laugh to hide my wheelchair too." Actually, he'd just happened to pass by this way looking for Puck, since his best friend liked to hang out around this area, but he didn't seem to be around. Certainly, he would have stopped Finn from helping out Abrams simply because 'the loser's a geek, I mean, if he didn't dress all girly and stuff all the time, we wouldn't pick on him, wait, no, we still would, nevermind.'

Finn looked around him wildly. Now that he mentioned it, he wondered where the wheelchair was stashed. The hockey guys had been known to hide it in a variety of places (they'd even stuck it on the roof once. Principal Figgins still had no idea who was responsible, and no one was about to 'fess up), but they'd usually get bored of it pretty soon, so... there! (He could see it, way on the other side of the football field).

"I'll get it, since it's pretty far. You just... work on getting yourself out, then?" Abrams was still glaring at him, but he nodded curtly, hands moving to lift himself out. Finn turned around, and jogged towards the wheelchair. Luckily, nothing seemed to be wrong with it (the wheels were still attached, and it could still stand up without collapsing, and it was pretty comfortable. He'd wondered how Abrams could sit in it for so long), and so he pushed it back over the grass to the fallen Port-A-Potty, Abrams now sitting on the ground outside it.

"Here you go." He couldn't help but add a flourish. "Your chariot awaits."

Abrams gave him a look, like 'seriously, what are you on and where can I get some?', but he propped himself against the chair, and (woah how did he get into it again?). It was pretty fast.

"How'd you do that?" He stared at the now-seated Abrams, who looked back at him, unimpressed.

"What, sit?" At his nod, he sighed. "Practice. Lots and lots of practice."

"So if I practice, I could do it too?" (It looked really cool, especially with how quickly Abrams had done it). And now he was staring again, but this time more 'How are you serious, did you hit your head against something hard?'

"Yeah, sure." He looked a bit confused, like Finn was with his Algebra homework (he just didn't understand how 'x' could be both '3' and '7', and why that made 'y'... some sort of line thing). "You... do that then. While I'm going to go now."

"Wait. Do you need me to come with you?" Finn didn't think that the hockey guys, if they were still around (since there was practice today, and they were all in the locker room getting ready) would like Abrams getting out so soon (since they'd locked it and everything), and if Finn stayed close beside him, then none of them would mess around with him (since Finn was definitely better than them, being 'king of the school' like Quinn said).

Abrams looked very surprised now, like Finn had offered to walk his dog for free (if he had a dog, and wouldn't it be hard for him to walk it, since he was in the wheelchair? Maybe he should offer that too, Abrams could focus on the wheelchair, since multitasking was hard. If Abrams had to walk the dog and see where he was going maybe he'd crash into a car or something and then Finn would feel all guilty, and Abrams was looking at him like he was kinda crazy, so he had to jump in) "... because, you know, I could totally do that. If you want." Quinn was busy anyway (she had to go through the new cheerleading routines with Coach Sylvester, and he really didn't want to disturb her, because then she would give him that 'go away, Finn' look that made him feel bad about himself).

"... OK then." Finn reached for the handles of the wheelchair. "I can wheel myself."

"OK. Good." He stepped beside Abrams in a show of support, and kept pace as they reached the school. Finn held the door open (since he couldn't reach it and keep it open from down there).

Abrams was looking at him strangely, like he wasn't sure he was really there. Finn poked himself (Nope, still there).

They both entered the school, and Finn made his way to his locker. "Hey Hudson!"

"Call me Finn." It came automatically to his mouth.

Abrams looked at him again. "Hudson. I just want to say... thanks. For, er, helping me out." He smiled at Finn (or did he? It was gone pretty fast, like that totally awesome chair move). He started to move his chair away.

"Any time." And Finn felt that he really meant that.

Now he just needed Abrams to call him Finn (And teach him that move, because he hadn't said no earlier).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And then Finn, armed with his new goal of 'Making A Friend' bugs Artie to the point where they start to hang out and play video games, and Artie is quietly tolerating (but also totally kicking his ass), but gets used to Finn to the point that he starts to call Finn by his first name.
> 
> Mission accomplished.


	2. PILOT

PILOT

 

'What are you doing here?' was the general look aimed at Finn the moment he stepped through the choir room door. Artie sighed, giving him more of a 'are you lost again, because it wasn't funny the first time' look, and also a 'shoo, go away before you lose your reputation, because this? Is not helping you at all' look - but Finn just grinned at them all, and headed for the seat next to Artie.

"Hi guys." He plopped into the chair, and saw the electric guitar in Artie's hands. "Cool guitar, bro." Everyone else was looking at the two of them in shock, mainly because there was a jock in the room. And also because he was speaking to Artie. It's as if they expected Artie to be a lonely, lonely guy with no friends that, hey, just because he's in a wheelchair doesn't mean that he doesn't have anyone. There's the other band members, for one thing, not to mention the Academic Decathlon, which he has ROCKED so hard since the moment he was born, seriously.

"Firstly, Finn, don't call me 'bro'. It makes you sound like a wannabe gangster. Secondly... just, NO." Artie shook his head, determined not to let how much the acknowledgment warmed him up, and made him feel smug at everyone's wide eyes. Suck on THAT, Miss Rachel Berry and her 'I need a guy that can keep up with me, and Artie doesn't count' to Mr Schue - he's totally 'one of the guys'.

"What are you doing here?" Mercedes looked suspicious, while Tina looked from Artie to Finn in confusion. She was also backing away slowly like Finn was going to up and attack her, as if he'd do anything like that, really. Finn's more certain to trip over himself and fall flat on his face. For such a small guy, and an athlete, he's really, really clumsy - especially when he tries to dance to songs in Artie's basement, and ends up falling off the sofa.

Finn just waved at them all when Artie introduces everyone. "Hi guys," he repeats. "I, er, I guess you're the Glee club?" Ten points to Finn, Captain Obvious. They've all but put up a sign on the door stating as such, and the only reason it's not up is because Mercedes took it down earlier when they saw the glitter bombed monstrosity in pride of place, complete with gold stars in the corners. Sometimes Mercedes was totally awesome.

"Yes we are," Rachel stepped up to her job as Team Leader, manly because no one else could be bothered to do the job when they didn't even have enough members. "And what are you doing here, Finn Hudson? Come to throw some more Slushies at us 'losers'?" She was frowning at him in that 'total concentration on my talent please' way that she did, and Finn looked a little frightened of her - also a little amused, which, no Finn, you have a girlfriend, don't be lured in by the crazy, even if she's the only person shorter than you in the whole of Ohio. The rest of the deemed 'losers' didn't look very happy either.

"What? No! No, I wasn't. I mean, I don't even buy Slushies, because the cherry ones makes me hyperactive, and then I run into walls and things like that..." and Artie could imagine what else a doped-up-on-sugar-and-red-food-dye Finn might be capable of, to his chagrin. Mrs Hudson must be a saint. "Er, I'm just... here to join the Glee club?"

"WHAT?" Now everyone was staring, Artie included. He cleared his throat, and spoke over the ensuring noise.

"I thought you weren't going to join the Glee club?" Even though he'd sucked up his courage to ask, back when they were just starting to hang out together, and Artie hadn't been forced into close daily contact with one Rachel Berry. He'd stopped his campaign then, because no one deserved that level of weirdness, not even stubborn jocks that wanted to hang out with him despite the implications on his social status - even his girlfriend had a word or two to say when she heard about it, but what Finn decided he pursued like the star quarterback that he was, and now Artie had a friend that took over his furniture whenever he came over... Point was, he wasn't about to lose that, hence the trying-to-keep-him-away plan.

But now Finn was here, and he hoped desperately that he wouldn't run screaming out of the room, because then no one else would join, and Artie would remain the only guy in a group full of divas. And Tina. He'd go Rachel-levels of crazy in a week.

"Well, Mr Schue talked to me about it, and I thought that it sounded fun. Plus, it'll make Mom proud." Artie didn't really see how that would happen, unless Mrs Hudson wanted to encourage his singing, which he'd heard before, and Finn was GOOD enough for a lead singer kind of role, but he'd never wanted to join before, and this sudden appearance was suspicious. Finn's guilty shifting under his look, 'I know you are hiding something from me, and I am going to get it out of you after this', only served to make him more certain that something was up.

Mr Schue came in then, while the rest of the Glee club were freaking out, and it took some time for him to calm them all down. He introduced Finn again, and told them that Finn would be joining them, as the lead male vocalist. WHAT.

"To partner up with the lead female vocalist, Rachel." Now it was Mercedes' turn. "WHAT?"

Artie was not impressed. He knew he had some good vocals too, and just because Rachel felt intimidated by his range did not mean that she got to leave him out. Or any of the others - he'd sneaked in during the auditions, no it wasn't to judge the rest of the competition, why would you say that?, and Mercedes had a mind-blowing range, she was definitely better than Rachel any day, and Tina had actually performed the song he'd given her as a dare, which was pretty awesome. Compared to them, Rachel and her mediocre Broadway tunes were only going to be the most cliche ingénue ever.

So Mr Schue's decision definitely wasn't a very happy one, of course. Except for Rachel, who was honest-to-God twirling around chattering about how she and Finn were going to make some lovely duets together, and the rest of the club would make for lovely background music, and Mercedes was butting in with a 'Hell No', and they were both arguing again, while Tina stood in the background and they exchanged a silent look, 'not again'.

Artie privately wondered if this hasty decision had to do with Rachel threatening to leave earlier, and if he could get away with it too if he tried now. Then he looked over at Finn, who looked even more confused than normal, backing away from all the noise, and decided, nah, I'm not leaving him here to fend for himself. God knows Rachel would rip him apart the first time he tried to climb the walls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After school, Artie brings Finn home for what Finn would call 'a manly bro-bonding session', where he explains just how he got into the Glee club; and what Artie would call 'venting my rage at idiotic Neanderthals who let themselves be blackmailed by equally idiotic teachers'... which he then repeats the next day in Schuester's office.
> 
> Needless to say, he earns a trip to the principal's office for that stunt, although Mr Schue did agree to hold off on the blackmail.


	3. PREGGERS

PREGGERS

 

Finn was stunned. Quinn had told him that she was pregnant (although how that had happened Finn wasn't too clear about. Maybe it was the Hot Tub incident a few weeks back? How were babies made anyway? Mom said that something about storks and cabbages, which was weird, because he didn't know that birds were farmers. Maybe that was the bees instead?)

and Finn was finding it hard to think (actually, was the hall meant to look so... spacey. Like... an astronaut or something. That flies. A bird? Or a crane? And his chest was starting to hurt quite a bit, but that didn't matter, because Quinn was pregnant. She was going to have a baby. Finn's baby)

and he could feel some people staring at him from their lockers (oh no, did everyone else already know? Quinn was pretty quiet when she'd told him, but Finn knew that a lot of people could talk really, really fast, like whenever someone, namely one of the Glee members got slushied, everyone heard to stay away. Which was not cool at all, because the rest of the Glee club were very nice, but a bit loud. Even though Rachel was a bit creepy with all the staring. Then again, she had to be the only one in the school who was actually even shorter than him, and Artie didn't count, because he was always sitting down, so that was nice as well)

"-inn, Finn Hudson, calm down and BREATHE!" The last word, shouted directly into his face jolted Finn upright. Somehow, he'd slumped down against a wall, until he was practically sitting on the floor. Artie was frowning in concern.

"You OK?" Finn looked up at him. Opened his mouth to speak. (Artie would know what to do, he was a lot smarter than Finn, and gave really great ideas, even though he didn't think he'd ever grow to like warm milk. But he wouldn't say that out loud, and milk just reminded him of babies, like the one that Quinn was going to give birth too, and wait a second, how was it going to come out-?)

Closed it.

Tried again. (But there probably was a reason why Quinn had pulled him aside, and he thought it might have to do with not wanting people to know, even if they were good bros, like Artie)

"Er... girl troubles?" Artie didn't look very convinced.

"Finn Hudson, you were staring into space, practically hyperventilating. I was so close to slapping you, you have no idea."

Finn brought his hands up to block in front of him. "Not cool, dude. You don't need to hit me."

Artie Looked at him (that sort of Look that meant they needed another 'bro-bonding session' like before. Finn shuddered inside). "Look, I know that although normally Quinn can inspire that sort of mass terror in the rest of us lowly peons, you haven't ever been this affected before. Something's different." He looked carefully at Finn's face again. "Something's wrong, isn't it?"

Finn jumped up (no, no, no. If Artie found out, then... then Finn didn't know what, but he really didn't want to talk about it, although he knew that things would be a lot scarier, because if school was this hard now... what would it be like with a baby to look after also? What did babies do anyway, apart from eat and sleep and poop?), pushing Artie back, which meant that his chair moved backwards too.

"No!" He practically shouted. "It's fine. Everything's good. I've got to go now... er, football practice!" And then he sprinted away to the library, where no one he knew would go (because reading was for losers, as Puck once said) or that Artie could even go into, he thought guiltily, because of the narrow spacing between shelves, and proceeded to hyperventilate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And then it doesn't matter anyway, because Jacob Ben Israel tells everyone a couple of weeks later, and suddenly Finn is no longer king of the school. He gets slushied (it's really, really cold, and totally freezes him in his steps when he gets hit) like the rest of the Glee club now.
> 
> But Artie still invites him over for video games and 'bro-bonding sessions', so that's... good.


	4. DISCONTINUED

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is not a chapter.

Dear Readers,

I'm sorry if anyone was following this story, but with (recent) events, I feel that it would be disrespectful to the original actor to continue this story as it is. Thank you for reading this far, and I hope you all keep Gleek-ing out!

 

Me


End file.
